For a lock mechanism or for a pop-up mechanism of a door handle apparatus of a vehicle, a DC motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is used as a driving source of them.
For example, a two pole permanent magnet DC motor apparatus with brush system is widely used as a driving source for various actuators of vehicles, because a DC motor has many advantages such as the same torque characteristics regardless of rotation in either forward and reverse directions, withstanding long-term use, small size to use, and low price.
Such a DC motor is also suitable as a drive source of a pop-up mechanism required forward and reverse rotation. Namely, for the motor apparatus with reduction gear, the operation time required to change the position of the door handle is short. Therefore, even a compact DC motor has sufficient characteristics to withstand long-term use as a drive source of the pop-up mechanism.
On the other hand, in Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publication No. 2016-98629, an example in which a waterproof mechanism is provided in a closer device for a locking mechanism for door of a vehicle is disclosed. In this example, a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is housed in a case made of a body and a housing, and a waterproof cap is provided in the opening portion at the tip of the case.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publication No. 2012-46989, another example in which a waterproof mechanism is provided in a drive unit of a power slide apparatus in a vehicle is disclosed. In this example, for constituting a drive unit, a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure is accommodated in a case formed of a waterproof cover and a bracket.
Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent pre-grant publications No. 2015-31083 and No. 2014-95251, examples using a motor apparatus with reduction gear structure as a drive source of a pop-up mechanism for a door handle of a vehicle is disclosed, respectively. In the pop-up mechanism, an outside door handle provided on the door is displaced by the motor apparatus with reduction gear structure installed in the door, via a transmission mechanism including a cam, a lever, and the like.
That is, usually, the pop-up mechanism places the outside door handle inside the door of the vehicle to reduce the running resistance, and only when the user opens the door, projects the outside door handle outward of the door so that the user can grasp the outside door handle.